Can you picture yourself running in a 5K race on a crisp winter morning at the top of a 10,678-foot, snow-covered peak in snowshoes? That’s what approximately 150 adventurous people did when they competed in the 11th annual Sandia Snowshoe Race on Jan. 19, 2013.

The Sandia is a compact district of around 100,000 acres that includes the 37,200-acre Sandia Mountain Wilderness just east of Albuquerque. Because of its proximity to a metropolitan area, more than 1 million people visit the district each year. Visitors come for a variety of recreational activities – hiking, mountain biking, picnicking, rock climbing and horseback riding. In the winter, weather permitting, there’s cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

Participants in the Sandia Snowshoe Race make their way on a trail through the Cibola National Forest outside of Albuquerque, N.M. The race supports maintenance of trails and picnic areas on the forest. Photo courtesy of Friends of the Sandia Mountains.

The district also offers some pretty spectacular scenery – especially when traveling on the Sandia Crest National Scenic Byway. Along the route are hiking trails that range from easy to difficult, peaceful picnic areas tucked in wooded areas, and some great opportunities to view wildlife. At the Sandia Crest House, visitors can access a number of trails while the patio offers a panoramic view of the Sandia Mountain Wilderness, the city of Albuquerque and points west.

The Tijeras Pueblo Archaeological Site– a 200-room structure that was inhabited between1300 -1425 A.D.. The pueblo is located next to the ranger station and has a self-guided interpretive trail through the site and displays of artifacts.

The Sandia Man Cave– found high on a cliff in Las Huertas Canyon. Scientists and students found the skeletal remains of Ice Age animals in the cave as well as stone arrows, lance points, basket scraps and bits of woven yucca moccasins.

Direct ties to Spanish land grant communities established by the King of Spain in the 1700s and Mexican land grants from the 1820s. Some Spanish land grants adjoining the Sandias are still active.